The Fulton Family

Amara's Easter Dress this year was her Christmas gift from her Godmother, Jenny. it's the first poofy dress she's had since she's been able to walk and spin and spinning was her favorite all day. She and Daddy had some dancing to do.

I'm not sure there are any cuter kids than these?

Love 'em!

Grammy and Papa love them too!

We left Iowa early so we could spend the day in Galesburg with Brian's parents, grandma, aunt and uncle and cousin. We had a wonderful brunch and then headed back to the house to look for their Easter Baskets...Nana and Grandpa had hidden them in the living room.

What fun!

Since it was raining, we did the Easter Egg Hunt in the basement. The eggs were hidden everywhere and the kids loved it!

The kids thought it was so great that the eggs were on couches and mixed in with their toys and even on the treadmill. Oh, and they loved the candy inside too!

After naps, we headed outside to play. Amara was still so tickled by her pretty dress and being able to play outside in it!

Nana helped Mara on the scooter while Al played on his battery operated 4 wheeler.

We had a great afternoon and evening in Galesburg too and we reflected on the way home about how truly blessed we are to have such amazing families!

Happy Easter!

SO, we left Monticello Friday afternoon after Brian got off work and arrived in Iowa city late. We let the kids stay up WAY past their bedtimes to play with their cousins and they loved every minute of it. Actually, their cousins are my first cousins' kids.Since my cousins are SOOOOOOO old ( I love you Woody and Brad), their kids range in ages from 2- 19 and it allows my kids to fit in nicely.

Saturday we woke up and got ready for the Easter Egg hunt at my Auntie Doris' church. We've been going to Easter in Iowa for 30 years and this is the first egg hunt we've ever been too. As far as I'm concerned, we'll never miss another one. it was wonderful.

The kids started inside and got to hold real chickens. Once Al found out he wasn't allergic ( poor guy) he was so excited to hold one.

The then kids planted Sunflowers. Mara is between her two cousins, Samantha and Alinia.

Mara kisses her own black chicky! SO sweet!

There were crafts too. The kids made simple Easter baskets out of Solo cups, pipe cleaners, beads, and stickers. Amara was so dilegent. She stood at the table for almost a half hour stringing one bead at a time.

When Ali offered to help, she was so excited to show off her progress and get back to work.

Then the hunt. The big kids were in a huge open area on the other side of the church with lots more eggs, much more area, and some even hidden. The little ones had their own space and simply had to pick up the filled eggs, goody bags and treats off the lawn. They were all so precious and SO excited.

Mara's first Easter Egg Hunt. Last year she participated in some but she couldn't walk yet so this is the first one to count.

"We Love Gloria Dei Easter Egg Hunt!!!!"

So proud of his stash AND his firetruck basket ( thanks Brayden)

We went inside and dumped all our eggs

Then home to Auntie Doris' for more hunting. We hid empty plastic eggs all over the backyard and let the littler kids pick them all up. So fun! Love it even more that my kids were overjoyed to do it without having the eggs filled.

Then the little ones hid all the eggs for me and Brian. We are serious Easter Egg Hunters. I'm not sure each year who likes it more, the kids or us. We both have very vivid memories of Easter Egg hunts from our youth and find them to be some of the best Easter times we've had. We both could do it over and over and over and never get sick of it. Well, as we've gotten older and the "Fulton way" has rubbed off on me some, it's now very competitive. It's about speed, endurance, and quantity. So when the kids said, "Go!" We were RUNNING the whole time and sweating and laughing....

...and even getting rowdy. We both ended up over by the small tree and Brian knocked my Easter Egg basket over. So, I knocked his. Then we started picking up each other's eggs. All the while, Amara was running to get a closer look and Alaric, who was serving as our personal coach, was yelling at Daddy telling him to be nice to mommy! ( I love you baby boy!)

It wasn't even noon yet and my parents and Dan, Jen, and Veronica were not even there yet so the kids, me and Bri, and my cousin Woody too everyone over to the park across the street to play and run some.

Taylor on the tire swing.

Woody and his daughter Alinia.

Woody & Mindy's former foster child, Matthew! He loves his the Housers so much, he still spends some weekends with them and often times holidays. We think of him as a cousin ( and its way easier to explain to Alaric too).

Football was the game of choice for the whole family.

Brian and Mara stop mid flip for a picture.

My sweet family!

The walk home

We got home from the park and Dan, Jen, V, Grammy, and Papa had arrived. Well, we needed to do another Easter Egg hunt so this time we chose the front yard. Just wanted to mention, my other cousin Brad, his wife Becky and their kids Maddie and Brady were not there this year. They were with Becky's family. We missed them terribly!

The kids raced around the yard

V finds one hidden high

Matthew and Taylor guided Mara to help find the eggs she overlooked

Cousins and Friends Forever!

After the most amazing meal prepared by Auntie Doris, kids napped, played, etc. Mindy and Woody gave Alaric and Amara their Christmas gifts since they were snowed in at our December gathering. Amara got a new TuTu and you can see how overjoyed she was. She loved it!

Mindy and Woody have a foster child now named, Kurah. She has special needs. She's blind and has significant brain damage. She's two months younger than Mara. She eats through a tube. Veronica loved to be a good helper and hold her formula bag.

Mara played football outside and waved to Papa ( notice the tutu which she would not take off until nighttime and she kicked and screamed the whole time we changed her).

EASTER BASKETS!!! Who doesn't love Easter baskets

Kurah got a soft, grizzly bear to touch.

L-R...Taylor, Amara, Alinia, Veronica, Samantha, Benjamin, and Alaric. Woody and Mindy have 4 kids. Benjamin spent most of this visit in the den watching TV or playing videogames. He's in 8th grade. We could go hours without even hearing a sound from the room. Every once in awhile, someone would open the door just to be sure he was alive. Yup, still a breathing teenager who wants nothing to do with his family! My favorite moment when I peeked in to check his life status, I cracked open the door and said, "Benj, I just wanted to tell you I love you!" His response, " I love you too, Katie!" Uhhh, warm my heart! Gotta love 'em!

My parents checked out Auntie Doris' photo albums

Grammy and Papa then gave their Easter Baskets to the Bechtel/Fulton kids. Look at these sweet girls in their new raincoats and umbrellas!

For each year of our lives, my mom had made my brother and me our own Easter egg. It was a real egg, blown out and painted by her. She would have the egg dated and reflect something from the past year with our likes or events, etc. Now, she does it for the kids instead.